While traveling out and about around the globe, if I meet someone from Germany — my first question is: where are you from? So far I haven’t met anyone from the town of Horneburg, or as it’s called in Low German, Hornborg.
I’d love to talk someone about their hometown — about how lovely a place this is up here near Hamburg. How can you not love being up by the Stade Geest, or how you can see the Elbe from atop the 28-meter high observation tower (over in Nottensdorf)?
What I really like is Horneburg’s history. Other people must have loved it up here as much as I do, since folks have been living here for more than 3,000 years. If you go along the Wanderpfad Nekropole Daudieck (oh, it’s only 2 km long with 9 “stations”), you’ll learn all about these prehistoric people.
Ahh, forget that, let’s talk about the more modern Horneburg — you know, from the Middle Ages. ;-)
Well, honestly, there’s not all that much left from Horneburg’s medieval days, but the Feldsteinkirche is still around from the 12th century; as is the 14th century Bronze “Knight” sculpture.
Too bad nothing remains of Burg Horneburg, other than its moat. A sad end to what was probably a formidable 13th century castle.
A few centuries passed between the end of the Middle Ages to what is really modern day; and you can see quite a number of buildings around town that were put here in between.
For instance, I love the Große Zweiständerhaus, a gigantic half-timbered house (in the district of Dollern) with this exceptionally steep thatched roof from 1793. Guess that’s to keep the snow from building up during the winter.
A number of these thatched roof “cottages” can be found throughout Horneburg — which are so indicative of the northern German landscape. They kind of remind me of a few villages in Great Britain too, but isn’t that a whole other story? ;-)
Now that I think about it, I wonder if there’s someone from Horneburg wandering around the United Kingdom being reminded of home. Hmm, if we ever find someone from here, we shall ask him/her.
